David Hale

Injuries to Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor (among others) thrust Hale into the rotation to begin the year, and the right-hander more than held his own in four starts (2.31 ERA) before tran...

During his time with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2013, Hale posted good, if rather unspectacular, numbers (3.22 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 6.0 K/9). A third-round pick by the Braves in 2009, Hale's biggest improvement was with his control, as he trimmed his walk rate to 2.8 BB/9, from 4.1 at Double-A Mississippi in 2012. He got the call to make a couple of spot starts for the big club in September, and the right-hander allowed just one run, while striking out 14 batters over 11 innings, and was even included on the team's NLDS roster. The strikeouts were surprising, as he never posted a K/9 over 7.7 at any stop in the minors, but he clearly made an impression on manager Fredi Gonzalez. Gonzalez said that he expects Hale to compete for a spot in the major league rotation this spring, and left open the possibility Hale could be a bullpen option if he's unable to secure a starting role.